Mold Forces Shut Down of the Johnson Memorial Hospital Cancer Center

Toxic mold has been wreaking havoc at the Johnson Memorial Hospital cancer infusion center in Enfield, Connecticut. It was found by state inspectors to be growing all over the walls and even on the tables where patients were treated with chemo.

What’s worse is that according to the state documents, managers at the cancer center were well aware of the mold problem for several years and they did nothing to address the highly toxic conditions.

The sad part is that who know how many patient’s health was adversely affected, or how many people may have died from fungal infections due to the negligence of the hospital administration?

After all, it is well known in medical literature that toxic mold is much worse for people who have compromised immune systems such as people who have cancer and are receiving chemotherapy.

The Journal Inquirer reported that state inspectors last year uncovered more than 50 serious violations at Johnson Memorial Hospital and its treatment centers, showing an ongoing pattern of staff blatantly ignoring serious problems, particularly with the continued growth of mold and fungus in pharmacy compounding areas.

Meeting minutes also failed to note any discussion of the problem, which became well known among hospital managers after the infusion center was shut down for a month in August 2013 in an attempt to eradicate the growth.

However, mold on the walls and fungi growth on the chemo and anteroom tables in the “clean area” mixing rooms were found again in February 2014.

In a March 24, 2014, memo from the pharmacy manager to the IV infusion center staff, the cause appeared to be identified as an inadequate and undersized HVAC system that couldn’t regulate temperature and humidity levels in the “clean rooms.”

The problem was to be addressed “at the administrative level,” the pharmacy manager wrote in the memo, later telling investigators that an action plan for upgrading the HVAC system was developed and sent to the environment of care committee in June 2014.

Investigators could find no documentation or date of work being completed, however.

Meanwhile, IV compounding continued at the infusion center until July 8, 2014, when the state shut it down.

Johnson Memorial also failed to conduct a risk analysis to determine if the mold or fungus cultures could have impacted patient health, the report states, nor did they have an action plan to correct these issues, showing an apparent lack of concern.